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The Chicago Bears running game didn’t receive many accolades during the regular season. But the way Matt Forte and the offensive line have played as of late, it might be time to starting giving them some.

While the offensive line looks pretty good now, in the early stages of the season, they were anything but.

“It has been by design,” former Bears’ offensive lineman, Jay Hilgenberg said on the Danny Mac Show when asked about the line’s improvement. “The first part of the year, before the bye…they were bad…I was saying, ‘the Bears cannot run the ball. Their future is going to be throwing the ball this year.'”

But like many observers of this Bears team, Hilgenberg was wrong about the future of the offense. The team committed to a more balanced offensive attack and the wins followed.

“Mike Tice [said] that this offensive line [was] not going to jell until the bye,” Hilgenberg said. “And I tell you, he was right, and he got those guys together.”

There’s a difference between being an improved group and being good enough to get your team to the Super Bowl. If the Bears are going to beat the Packers and move on to Dallas, it’s going to take a big effort from Forte and the offensive line.

“Right now, the Bears are the best running team that’s left in the playoffs,” Hilgenberg said. “Matt Forte is the best running back that’s left in the playoffs. At the end of the year, he’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry. That hasn’t happened around Chicago in a long time.”